Cagalli Yula Athha
Cagalli Yula Athha is the biological twin sister of Kira Yamato, and emotionally very close to Athrun Zala. A veteran of the First Junius War, she is currently the Chief Representative of the Orb Union, as her father, Lord Uzumi Nara Athha, once was. She eventually becomes the pilot of the MBF-X1 Akatsuki Gundam. Personality Cagalli is the quintessential tomboy: free-spirited, hot-headed, and rebellious, more inclined to wear gender-neutral or masculine attire than what might be considered more "proper" for a Princess of Orb - an appellation she strongly resents. She is also fiercely dedicated to the protection of her country and its ideals, but she also knows that she cannot protect Orb on its own, and so has cultivated certain allies that allow her to do so more effectively. Skills & Capabilities Cagalli is a competent if inexperienced diplomat, and with the assistance of more experienced allies loyal to her father's and Orb's ideals has been successful in leading the nation so far. She also has basic proficiency with firearms of several types including a rudimentary, limited knowledge of explosives, and is a reasonably skilled pilot with a particular aptitude for medium/long-range combat, though her capabilities in close-range combat are limited. History Cagalli's story begins with an advanced biotech firm called GARM R&D (Genetic Advanced Reproductive Medical Research & Development), which was based out of the Colony Mendel, and led by a married couple named Ulen and Via Hibiki, who were geneticists. Dr. Ulen Hibiki's specialty was the creation of Coordinators, and he had often been frustrated by unforeseen mutations that resulted in deviation from the genetic characteristics requested in a subject. So he sought to create an "Ultimate Coordinator", one whose creation could be rigidly controlled from conception through birth, via the use of an artificial womb, resulting in a product that was 100% exactly as intended. Via Hibiki was at the time pregnant with fraternal twins - a boy and girl. Dr. Hibiki would remove the boy, Kira, and use him for his Ultimate Coordinator Project. The girl, Cagalli, would be born naturally. The incident drove a wedge between him and his wife, and she soon left him, taking her children with her to Orb, where she sought refuge with her sister Caridad and her husband, Haruma Yamato. The Yamatos would later adopt Kira, while Cagalli is entrusted to Orb's Lord Uzumi Nara Athha. The ultimate fate of the Hibikis remains unknown. Cagalli is then raised in Orb as Lord Uzumi's daughter, and her early years seem to have gone by without incident. In CE 71, she hears rumors that Orb is supporting the Alliance, and sneaks to the neutral colony Heliopolis. As she and some other boy locate the Alliance mobile suits, even in the midst of an attack by ZAFT, she realizes that her father has betrayed the ideals of Orb. She is later forced into a shelter, which is ejected as a life boat when the colony is destroyed. Cagalli finds her way back to Earth, where she heads to North Africa and becomes involved with the anti-ZAFT Resistance movement Desert Dawn. There she meets the young man from Helipolis, Kira, again as the Alliance's [[LCAM-01XA Archangel|LCAM-01XA Archangel]] arrives in North Africa. With her assistance, the ship is able to defeat ZAFT commander Andrew Waltfeld and leaves, Cagalli going with them. During this time, she pilots one of the ship's two FX-550 SkyGrasper fighters. Cagalli's SkyGrasper is later shot down by a ZAFT transport which was carrying the GAT-X303 Aegis and its pilot, Athrun Zala. The Aegis and its pilot are ejected by the falling transport, and by a strange coincidence lands on the same island where Cagalli has taken refuge. The two run into each other and after a brief confrontation a truce of sorts is established. They are both later rescued by their respective forces. The damaged Archangel ''obtains refuge (secretly) in Orb, where Cagalli reveals to them that she is Lord Uzumi's daughter, a fact she had hitherto kept hidden. The events of Heliopolis have caused a certain degree of estrangement, as she blames her father for what has happened. She has in this time grown very close to Kira, as well. Some time later, she once again meets Athrun, finding him unconscious in the Marshall Islands, and she learns that he faced Kira in battle, and apparently killed him. Angered and grief-stricken, Cagalli confronts Athrun, repeating her father's and her own ideals and , saying that killing for vengeance will never bring peace but simply more conflict. Both are reduced to tears. Before releasing him back to ZAFT, Cagalli gives Athrun a red stone pendant sacred to Haumea (the goddess of fertility and childbirth worshipped in Orb), and says she does not want anybody else to die. When the ''Archangel ''returns to Orb following Operation Spit-Break, Cagalli is overcome with emotion when she learns that Kira is in fact alive. Soon afterwards however, the Alliance attacks Orb. Desperate after the destruction of the Porta Panama Mass Driver by ZAFT, the Alliance's goal is to capture Morgenröte's facilities and the Kaguya Mass Driver. Kira in the Freedom , later joined by Athrun in its sibling unit, the ZGMF-X09A Justice, participates in the battle, during which they face off against three new-model Alliance Gundams. Cagalli, meanwhile, is forced to watch. The battle ends with the flight of Kira, along with Athrun, and the ''Archangel ''and ''Kusanagi ''into space, before Morgenröte and the Kaguya mass driver are both destroyed. Shortly before leaving, Cagalli is given a photograph by Lord Uzumi, who tells her that she will not be alone, as she will be with her brother - Kira. Though Orb subsequently falls, the Alliance nonetheless fails in its objective, as both ships arrive in space. Onboard the Kusanagi were a number of new MBF-M1 Astray mobile suits, as well as spare parts for the GAT-X105 parts, which are used to assemble the MBF-02 Strike Rouge, which would be Cagalli's mobile suit henceforth. Along with the ''Archangel ''and the stolen ZAFT warship [[FFMH-Y101 Eternal|FFMH-Y101 ''Eternal]], the Kusanagi ''would play a crucial role in the Second Battle of Jachin Due, which ended the First Junius War. In the years following the end of the War, Cagalli becomes Chief Representative of the Orb Union. During this time, her closest and most valuable ally is Rondo Mina Sahaku; once an enemy of her father's, along with her late brother Gina, Mina tells Cagalli the truth about the G-Project: It had been begun in secret, without Lord Uzumi's knowledge. He learned of it later, and chose to accept the responsibility for it. Cagalli accepts this and refuses to punish Mina for it, instead taking the older woman in her confidence, after she swore that henceforward she would defend the ideals of Orb. Cagalli also begins establishing informal political ties with William Baum of the Eurasian Federation, though she also finds herself having to deal with the ever-expanding influence of the Pro-Atlantic Federation Seiran Family - particularly its patriarch, Prime Minister Unato Ema Seiran. In CE 75, Cagalli is part of a multinational memorial delegation intending to visit the ruins of Junius Seven, when they are attacked by rogue ZAFT forces who are using the late Patrick Zala's ideals to justify the dropping of Junius Seven. The terrorists are killed, but fragments of Junius Seven fall in what becomes known the Break the World Incident. Subsequently, the Alliance declares war on and once again attempts to destroy the PLANTs with nuclear weapons, though the attack is thwarted by [http://gsdestinyaltered.wikia.com/wiki/Nazca-class a new anti-nuclear defense system installed onboard the ship ''Marie Curie]. During this time, the Seirans are attempting to force Cagalli to accept a deal with the Atlantic Federation. Using Mina, Cagalli instead approaches the Eurasian Federation, and succeeds in undermining the Seirans' influence by brokering a treaty with Eurasia that simultaneously protects Orb from potential attack by the Alliance and protects its ideals. This deal is accepted over that proposed by the Seirans. Soon afterwards, Cagalli is horrified to learn that Lacus Clyne, who had been living in Orb with Kira, has been assassinated, and she launches an investigation. At the same time, the treaty with Eurasia is signed. At a reception celebrating this event, Cagalli is abducted by Kira in the illegally-rebuilt Freedom, the latter having heard rumors of an arranged marriage between Cagalli and Yuna Roma Seiran. The Archangel ''leaves Orb and takes up secretive residence in the Kingdom of Scandinavia. A furious Cagalli confronts Kira, angrily berating him for abducting her, thereby having left Orb at the mercy of the Seirans, and leaves the ship almost immediately in a SkyGrasper. Belatedly realizing that she could and should have ordered them to return to Orb, she continues on her course, until she is intercepted by a cruising Eurasian Federation Carrier Strike Group commanded by Natarle Badgiruel, who provides the 'Grasper with supplies allowing Cagalli to reach the mainland, and from there with some assistance she is able to make her way back to Orb. Arriving in Orb, she confronts the Seirans when she learns that they have, in defiance of her orders, sent an Orb fleet including the new Orb carrier [[NDC-01 Takemikazuchi|NDC-01 ''Takemikazuchi]] to reinforce the Alliance. She orders them to reestablish communications with them and call them home. With the assistance of Mina, she succeeds in reaching the Takemikazuchi and orders them to cease combat operations - at the time, engaged against the ''Minerva - ''and return home, only short minutes before the ship was to be destroyed. Upon the return of the decimated Orb fleet, which had sustained heavy losses and taken significant damage, Cagalli uses the incident to forcibly remove both the Seirans from the Council of Emirs. Eventually, she learns of the destruction of the ''Archangel ''and the Freedom, and is personally there to greet the surviving crew members upon their return to Orb. Later on, when she learns of Jibril's presence in Orb, and when a last-ditch attempt at diplomacy by Athrun fails, Cagalli is presented with the new MBF-X1 Akatsuki Gundam created for her at her father's request, which she pilots in the battle alongside a team of Murasame piloted by Andrew Waltfeld, Juri Wu Nien, and Ledonir Kisaka. After rallying the faltering Orb defense forces, Cagalli and her team are engaged by Shinn Asuka's ZGMF-X42R Destiny Gundam and Stella Loussier at the controls of the ZGMF-YX29R Knight Saviour Gundam, and Cagalli is forced to retreat by the superior Destiny Gundam. She returns to Orb's military HQ, where in a fit of anger she executes Yuna Roma Seiran. Subsequently, she takes the lead in the hunt for Jibril, and when he is located personally orders his location transmitted to ZAFT. Unfortunately Jibril escapes, but the death of both the Seirans subsequently allows Cagalli to force from office their remaining supporters, allowing her to ensure that the Council of Emirs will henceforth truly follow the ideals of Orb. Cagalli would eventually take personal command of the Orb space fleet in the final battle of the war, and would herself launch in the Akatsuki in the Second Battle of Daedalus, which would mark the end of hostilities. After the Second Junius War ends, Orb would host the ceremony at which the treaty is signed formally ending the war and cementing a lasting peace, as well as an alliance between Orb, the PLANTs, and the Earth Alliance.